Top 10 Signs It's Time to Make a Top 10 List

NOTE: If you’re literally addicted to email, please seek professional help. But if you’re simply under-motivated to scale back your usage, try these tips.

10 Turn your “inbox” into a “zenbox.” Stay on top of scrubbing and cleansing your inbox, and it’ll be less overwhelming when important messages come flying your way.

9 Delete spam, it's more satisfying than you would think, sort of like a bug zapper.

8 Archive old messages. They'll still be there, just not where you have to look at them every day.

7Unsubscribe from newsletters that you never, ever read.

6 Use Noko's Timer feature to time your client work, by the second. When the Timer’s running, there’s NO email skimming...nuh-uh!

5 Set specific points throughout the day for email checking (EX: 9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm). Allot yourself 15 minutes at each check-point. And then...GET OUTTA THERE!

4 If you’re engaged in an intense project, and REALLY need to focus, consider creating an auto-responder that lets people know that you’re limiting your email checking to 3 times a day, and that you’ll respond within 72 hours, or as soon as reasonably possible.

3 Noko's Timer feature can also be used to help keep track of when you are spending time on email - look at those stats at the end of the week, or even the end of the day; it will blow your mind.

2 Use an old-school parental control (y’know, for little kids) to kick yourself off the ‘net.

1 Disable email notifications. Or better yet, actually close your mail client when you really need to focus. Nothing eats away at productivity more than that nagging feeling of unread messages, especially when you can see them growing before your very eyes.